Development Interventions in Wollaita, 1960s-2000s. A Critical Review

Action for Development, Christian Aid, and Inter-Church Organization for Development Cooperation commissioned this study. They are all active in Wollaita, one of the most densely populated areas of Ethiopia. It examines the development interventions of the last four and a half decades from the point of view of three key determinants of poverty and destitution: population dynamics and land shortage, urbanisation and commercialisation, and livelihood diversification. The interventions are found to have largely failed to address these key determinants; and the study suggests that a considerable change of policy is needed to put these determinants at centre stage and to accelerate the pace of development. Dessalegn Rahmato won the 1999 Prince Claus Award in recognition of significant achievements in the field of research and development. He is a Senior Research Fellow at the Forum for Social Studies, and was formerly its Executive Director. He has published on land and agrarian issues, food security, environmental policy, and poverty in Wollaita. His current research is on civil society and democratisation.